OF THE JUSTICE OR
RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD
John Gill
Concerning this attribute of
God, I shall,
1. First, Show that it does belong
to him, and is natural and essential to him. The scriptures
do abundantly ascribe it to him; all rational creatures, angels and men, good
and bad, acknowledge it in him, #Re 16:5 Ex 9:27 Jer 12:1 Da 9:9 Ps 145:7 and
remove all unrighteousness from him, and affirm there is none in him, #Ps 92:15
#Ro 9:14. And, indeed, without this attribute, he would not be fit to be the
Governor of the world, and the judge of the whole earth; his government would
be tyranny, and not yield that pleasure and delight to the
inhabitants of it, it does; the reason of which is, because "righteousness
and judgment are the habitation of his throne", #Ps 97:1,2. And from his
love of righteousness, and constant performance of it, it may be concluded it
is natural to him; as what is loved by men, and constantly done by them, shows
it to be agreeable to the nature of them, #Ps 11:7 9:4 and, indeed, it is originally and essentially in God; it is in and of himself,
and not of another; it is his nature and essence, and is not derived from
another. Adam was righteous, but not of himself, God made him upright, or
righteous; saints are righteous, not by their own righteousness, but by the
righteousness of Christ imputed to them. But God is righteous in and of
himself; his righteousness is essential and inderivative, and
is incommunicable to a creature; it is not that by which men are made
righteous, as Osiander dreamed; for though he who is Jehovah is their
righteousness, yet not as he is Jehovah; for then they would be deified by him:
the righteousness of God being his nature, is infinite and immutable; the
righteousness of angels and men, in which they were created, was mutable; Adam
lost his, and many of the angels lost theirs; but the
"righteousness" of God is "like the great mountains", as
high, firm, and stable as they, and much more so, #Ps 36:6. Righteousness in
creatures, is according to some law, which is the rule of it, and to which it
is conformed, and is adequate so the law of God, which is holy, just, and true,
is a rule of righteousness to men; but God has no law without himself, he is a law to himself; his nature and will the law and rule of
righteousness to him. Some things are just, because he wills them, as such that
are of a posture kind; and others he wills them because they are just, being
agreeable to his nature and moral perfections.
This is an attribute common to the three Persons in the Godhead, as it
must be, since it is essential to Deity, and they partake of the same undivided
nature and essence: hence the Father of Christ is called by
him "righteous Father", #Joh 17:25 and Christ, his Son; is called
Jesus Christ "the righteous", #1Jo 2:1 and no doubt can be made of
its being proper to the Holy Spirit, who convinces men "of righteousness
and of judgment", #Joh 16:8. But,
2.
Secondly, I shall next consider the various sorts, or branches of
righteousness, which belong to God; for though it is but one in him, being his
nature and essence; yet it may be considered as diversified, and as admitting
of distinctions, with respect to creatures. Some distinguish it into
righteousness of words, and righteousness of deeds. Righteousness of words lies
in the fulfilment of his words, sayings, prophecies, and
promises; and is no other than his veracity, truth, and faithfulness; which
will be considered hereafter, as a distinct attribute. Righteousness of deeds,
is either the rectitude, purity, and holiness of his nature; which appears in
all his works and actions, and which has been treated of in the preceding
chapter; or it is a giving that which belongs to himself, and to his creatures,
what is each their due. So justice is defined by Cicero {1},
an affection of the mind, "Suum cuique tribuens"; giving to everyone
his own. Thus God gives or takes to himself what is his due; or does himself
justice, by making and doing all things for his own glory; and by not giving
his glory to another, nor his praise to graven images: and he gives to his
creatures what is due to them by the laws of creation, and governs them in
justice and equity, and disposes of them and dispenses to
them, in the same manner. Justice, among men, is sometimes distinguished into
commutative and retributive. Commutative justice lies in covenants, compacts,
agreements, commerce, and dealings with one another, in which one gives an
equivalent in money or goods, for what he receives of another; and when
integrity and uprightness are preserved, this is justice.
But such sort of justice cannot have place between God and men; what he gives,
and they receive from him, is of free favour and good will; and what they give
to him, or he receives from them, is no equivalent for what they have from him;
"What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits towards me?"
#Ps 116:12 nothing that is answerable to them. Besides, God has a prior right
to everything a creature has or can give; "Who hath
first given to him, and it shall be recompensed to him again?" #Ro 11:35.
Retributive justice is a distribution either of rewards or punishments; the one
may be called remunerative justice, the other punitive justice; and both may be
observed in God.
2a.
Remunerative justice, or a distribution of rewards; the rule of which is not
the merits of men, but his own gracious promise; for he first, of his own grace
and good will, makes promises, and then he is just and righteous in fulfilling
them; for God, as Austin {2} expresses it,
``makes
himself a debtor, not by receiving anything from us, but by promising such and
such things to us.''
And his justice lies in
fulfilling his promises made to such and such persons, doing such and such
things; and not in rewarding any supposed merits of theirs. Thus, for instance, "The man that endures temptation shall receive
the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to them that love him",
#Jas 1:12 but the crown of life is not given according to any merit of it
arising from enduring temptation, or loving the Lord; but in consequence of the
promise of God graciously made to such persons, for their encouragement
thereunto. Moreover, the reward is not of debt, but of grace;
or God, in the distribution of rewards to men, rewards not their works, but his
own grace; he first gives grace, and then rewards that grace with glory;
called, "the reward of the inheritance", #Col 3:24. And this seems to
be no other than the inseparable connection between grace and glory, adopting
grace, and the heavenly inheritance; which, he having of his own grace put,
does in justice inviolably maintain. Indeed, the
remunerative justice of God is sometimes represented in scripture, as rendering
to every man according to his deeds, or as his work shall be, #Ro 2:5, -7,10 Re
22:12. But still it is to be observed, that the reward given or rendered, is
owing, to the promise that is made to them for godliness, whether as a
principle of grace, or as practised under the influence of grace; or godly
persons have "the promise of the life that now is, and
of that which is to come", #1Ti 4:8 which promise is punctually and
righteously performed. Besides, God does not reward the works and godly actions
of men, as meritorious in themselves; but as they are the fruits of his own
grace; who works in them both "to will and to do" of his own
pleasure; and therefore he is "not unrighteous to forget their work and labour of love"; which springs from love, is done in
faith, and with a view to his glory, #Heb 6:10. Moreover, the works according
to which God renders eternal life, are not mens' own personal works; between
which, and eternal life, there is no proportion; but the works of righteousness
done by Christ, of which his obedience and righteousness consist; and which
being done by him, on their account, as their Head and
Representative, are reckoned to them; and, according to these, the crown of
righteousness is given them by the Lord, as a righteous Judge, in a way of
righteousness, #2Ti 4:8.
2b. Punitive, or vindictive
justice, belongs to God; It is a righteous thing with God to render
tribulation to them that trouble" his people, #2Th 1:6 and so to inflict
punishment for any other sin committed by men; and this has been exercised by
him in all ages from the beginning of the world; and has appeared in casting
down from heaven to hell the angels that sinned; in drowning the old world; in
destroying Sodom and Gomorrah; in the plagues on Egypt, on Pharaoh and his
host; the righteousness of which was acknowledged, in some
of the instances of it, by that wicked king, #Ex 9:27 in each of the
captivities of the Jews, and in the destruction of that people; and in the
judgments of God on many other nations, in each of the periods of time; and as
will be seen in the destruction of antichrist and the antichristian states; the
righteousness of which will be ascribed to God by the angel of
the waters, and by all his people, #Re 16:5,6 19:1,2 and in the eternal punishment
and everlasting destruction of ungodly men: and this righteousness is natural
and essential to God; but this the Socinians {3} deny, because they do not
choose to embrace the doctrine of the necessity of Christ's satisfaction for
sin, which, if granted, they must give into. But that punitive, or vindictive
justice, is essential to God, or that he not only will not
let sin go unpunished, but that he cannot but punish sin, is manifest,
2b1. From the
light of nature: hence the accusations of the
natural
conscience in men for sins committed; the fears of
divine
vengeance falling upon them for it, here or
hereafter;
the many ways and means devised to appease angry
Deity, and to
avert punishment, some absurd, and others
shocking; to
which may be added, the name of dikh,
vengeance, or
justice, punitive justice, the heathens give
to
deity; see #Ro 2:14,15 Ac 28:4.
2b2. From the
word of God, and the proclamation which God himself
has made; in
which, among other essential perfections of
his, this is
one, that he will by no means clear the guilty, and
not
at all acquit the wicked, #Ex 34:6,7 Nu 14:18 Na 1:3.
2b3. From the
nature of God, "who is of purer eyes than to behold
iniquity";
cannot bear it, but hates it, and the workers of
it; which
hatred is no other than his punishment of it,
#Heb
1:13 Isa 1:13, 14 Ps 5:5, 6. Now as his love of
righteousness
is natural and essential to him; so must
hatred of sin
be; to which may be added, that "he is a
consuming
fire", #Heb 12:29.
2b4.
From the nature of sin, and the demerit of it, eternal
death,
everlasting punishment and destruction. Now if sin of
itself, in
its own nature, merits such punishment at the
hands of God,
he is obliged to inflict it; or otherwise
there can be
no demerit in it.
2b5. From the
law of God; the sanction of it, and the veracity of
God in it:
sin is a transgression of the law; which God, as
a lawgiver,
cannot but punish; otherwise his legislative
power and
authority is of no effect, and would be despised:
he
has annexed a sanction to his law, which is death; and
his veracity
obliges him to inflict it; nor is it any
objection to
all this, that then all sinners must be
necessarily
punished; since the perfections of God, though
natural to
him, the acts and exercises of them are according
to
his will; as has been instanced in his omnipotence and
mercy.
Besides, it will be readily allowed, and even
affirmed,
that no sin goes unpunished; but is either
punished in the
sinner himself, or in his Surety. The reason
why some are
not punished in themselves, is, because Christ
has
made satisfaction for their sins, by bearing the
punishment
due unto them. Hence,
2b6. From sin
being punished in Christ, the Surety of his people,
it may be
strongly concluded, that punitive justice is
essential
to God; or otherwise, where is the goodness of God
to his own
Son, that he should not spare him, but awake the
sword of
justice against him, and inflict the whole of
punishment on
him, due to the sins of those for whom he
suffered, if
he could not have punished sin, or this was not
necessary?
and, indeed, where is his wisdom in being at such
an expense as
the blood and life of his Son, if sin could
have been let
go unpunished, and the salvation of his people
obtained
without it? and where is the love of God to men, in
giving Christ
for them, for their remission and salvation,
so
much magnified, when all this might have been without it?
but without
shedding of blood, as there is no remission, so
none could
be, consistent with the justice of God; no pardon
nor
salvation, without satisfaction to that: could it have
been in
another way, the prayer of Christ would have brought
it
out, "Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass me",
#Mt 26:39.
But,
3. Thirdly, I shall next
consider the displays of the righteousness of God in his works; and vindicate
his justice in them; for "the Lord is righteous in all his ways", #Ps 145:17.
3a. In his ways and works of
providence: he governs the world in righteousness, orders and disposes of all
things in judgment; and though he does according to his sovereign will and
pleasure in heaven and in earth, yet he acts according to the strictest
rules of justice and equity; "Just and true are his ways"; "he
is the Judge of all the earth, who will do right", #Re 15:3 Ge 18:25 and
does do it; nor is he chargeable with any unrighteousness in any of his ways
and works: men may wrongly charge him, and say, as the house of Israel did;
"the way of the Lord is not equal"; when it is their ways that are
unequal, and not his, #Eze 18:29 nor is it any sufficient
objection to the righteousness of God in his providences, that good men are
often afflicted, and wicked men are frequently in very prosperous
circumstances: these things have been stumbling and puzzling to good men, and
they have not been able to reconcile them to the justice of God; see #Ps
73:4-13 #Jer 12:1,2. As for the afflictions of God's people, these are not
punishments for sins, but chastisements of them; were they
indeed punishments for sin, it would argue injustice, for it would be unjust to
punish twice for the same sins; once in their Surety, and again in themselves:
but so it is not; their afflictions come not from God as a judge, but as a
father; and not from his justice, but his love; and not to their detriment and
injury, but for their good. In short, they are chastened by the Lord, that they might not be condemned with the world, #1Co 11:32.
And as for the prosperity of the wicked, though their eyes stand out with
fatness, and they have more than heart can wish, yet they are like beasts that
are fattened for the slaughter; their judgment may seem to linger, and their
damnation to slumber, but they do not; sudden destruction will come upon them;
the tables will, ere long, be turned, and the saints, who
have now their evil things, will be comforted; and the wicked, who have now
their good things, will be tormented: justice, though it may not so apparently
take place now, it will hereafter; when all things will be set to rights, and
the judgments of God will be manifest. There is a future state, when the
justice of God will shine in all its glory.
3b. God is righteous in all
his ways and works and acts of grace; in the predestination of men, the choice
of some, and the preterition of others. While the apostle is treating on this
sublime subject, he stops and asks this question, "Is there
unrighteousness with God?" and answers it with the utmost abhorrence and detestation, "God forbid!" Election is neither an
act of justice nor of injustice, but of the sovereign will and pleasure of God,
who does what he will with his own; gives it to one, and not to another,
without any imputation of injustice: if he may give grace and glory to whom he
will, without such a charge, then he may determine to give it without any. If
it is no injustice in men to choose their own favourites, friends, confidants, and companions; it can be none in God to choose
whom he pleases to bestow his favours on; to indulge with communion with
himself now, and to dwell with him to all eternity: if it was no injustice to
choose some of the angels, called elect angels, and pass by others; and even to
condemn all that sinned, without showing mercy to one individual of them; it
can be no injustice in him to choose some of the race of
men, and save them, and pass by others, when he could have condemned them all.
Nor can the imputation of Adam's sin to all his posterity, be accounted an
unrighteous action. God made man upright, he made himself a sinner: God gave
him a righteous law, and abilities to keep it; he voluntarily broke it: God
constituted the first man the federal head and representative of all his
posterity; and who so fit for this as their natural head
and common parent, with and in whom they were to stand and fall; and what
injustice could be in that; since had he stood they would have partook of the
benefits of it; as now he fell they share in the miseries of it? and since they
sinned in him, it can be no unrighteous thing to reckon it to them; or that
they should be made and constituted sinners, by his disobedience. It is not reckoned unjust, among men, for children to be punished for
the sins of their parents, and particularly treason; and what else is sin
against God? #Ex 20:5. The justice of God shines brightly in redemption by
Christ; "Zion, and her converts, are redeemed in righteousness"; a
full price is paid for the redemption of them; and in it "mercy and truth
meet together, and righteousness and peace kiss each other": and though it is not for all men, no injustice is done to them
that are not redeemed; for if God could in justice have condemned all, it can
be no act of injustice to redeem and save some. Suppose one hundred slaves in
Algiers, and a man out of his great generosity, lays down a ransom price for
fifty of them, does he, by this act of distinguished goodness and generosity,
do any injustice to the others? or can they righteously
complain of him for not ransoming them? In the justification of men, by the
righteousness of Christ, the justice of God is very conspicuous; for though God
justifies the ungodly, yet not without a perfect righteousness, such as is
adequate to the demands of his righteous law; even the righteousness of his own
Son, in the imputation of which, and justification by it, he appears to be
"just, and the justifier of him which believes in
Jesus", #Ro 3:26. Though God forgives sin, yet not without a satisfaction
made to his justice; though it is according to the riches of his grace, yet
through the blood of Christ shed for it; and upon the ground of the shedding of
that blood, God "is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness", #1Jo 1:9 and so it is both an act of
grace and of justice; as is eternal glory and happiness,
being the free gift of God, through Christ and his righteousness.
{1} De Finibus, l. 5.
{2} Enarrat. in Psalm cix.
tom. 8. p. 521.
{3} Socin.
de Servatore, par. 1. c. 1. Praelection. Theolog. c. 16. Crellius de Deo,
"ejusqque attributis", c. 25. in fine.